The American Society of Magical Negroes
| The American Society of Magical Negroes | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kobi Libii |
| Written by | Kobi Libii |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Doug Emmett |
| Edited by | Brian Olds |
| Music by | Michael Abels |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.5 million[2] |
The American Society of Magical Negroes is a 2024 American comedy film starring Justice Smith as a young man who joins a clandestine group of magical African Americans committed to enhancing the lives of White individuals, satirizing the Magical Negro trope. It was written and directed by Kobi Libii in his directorial debut, and co-stars David Alan Grier and An-Li Bogan.
It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and Focus Features released it in theaters in the United States on March 15, 2024. The film grossed $2.5 million at the box office.[2] It received mixed reviews from critics,[3] who noted that while it presented an intriguing concept, it fell short of thoroughly exploring its most challenging notions.[4]
Plot[edit]
Aren, a young biracial African-American man, displays his yarn sculpture at an art gallery, facing rejection; no one buys his work. Advised by the white gallery owner to approach a specific patron, Aren is mistaken for a waiter and handed an empty glass. At the bar, African-American bartender Roger empathizes with Aren's experience.
Discouraged, Aren discards his sculpture and heads home. On the way, he encounters a drunk white woman struggling with an ATM. She asks him for help, but he's falsely accused of theft, leading to a physical confrontation with two white men. Roger intervenes, deftly defusing the situation with a barbecue-restaurant recommendation and prompting one of the men to say, "No hard feelings, okay?"
Roger introduces Aren to The American Society of Magical Negroes, a group aiming to safeguard African Americans by appeasing white individuals. Aren witnesses historical acts of reassurance by Black men towards whites, embodying the Society's mission. Under Roger's mentorship, Aren helps a shy white police officer gain confidence at a dance club.
A chance encounter with Lizzie, a woman with a multiethnic background, at a coffee shop leads Aren to develop feelings for her, even as he's called away for Society duties. The society arranges a job for him at Meetbox, a social media platform, where he's assigned to reassure Jason, a depressed white colleague. Aren discovers that they report to Lizzie, who also works there.
Amidst his growing friendship with Lizzie, Aren learns of Meetbox's racial recognition flaws, and the company's superficial response highlights systemic issues. Noting Aren's feelings for Lizzie—whom Jason also likes—Roger tells Aren he must focus on boosting Jason's career and love life, sacrificing his own happiness.
Meetbox prepares a global broadcast to its staff to outline its new diversity-embracing policies. Jason is appointed a co-presenter, and invites Aren to join him. However, as the presentation begins, Aren learns that he was invited so the company would appear more diversity-conscious. He interrupts the live presentation, challenging the company's woke façade, and asserting that he has the right to belong to society without apology or special treatment. His defiance shocks his colleagues and disrupts the Society's magic. Aren is transported back to Society headquarters, where its president, DeDe, tells him he is to be expelled and his memory of them erased.
Despite Roger's attempt to erase Aren's memories, the magic weakens, signaling a broader rebellion within the Society against their subservient roles. Aren reunites with Lizzie in Los Angeles, where they reconcile and happily walk off together—while Lizzie, apparently joking, tells him she belongs to a magical society of her own. In a coda, she enters a hair salon and access a secret entrance to the Society of Supportive Wives and Girlfriends (SOSWAG).
Cast[edit]
- Justice Smith as Aren
- David Alan Grier as Roger
- An-Li Bogan as Lizzie
- Drew Tarver as Jason
- Michaela Watkins as Masterson
- Aisha Hinds as Gabbard
- Tim Baltz as Officer Miller
- Rupert Friend as Mick
- Nicole Byer as DeDe
Production[edit]
The American Society of Magical Negroes is a satire of the Magical Negro trope.[5][6] It was developed by Kobi Libii as part of the Sundance's Screenwriters and Directors Lab.[7] In March 2021, SFFILM confirmed that the film was awarded the 2021 Dolby Institute Fellowships, earning industry guidance and a cash grant enabling them to work with a sound designer at the screenwriting stage.[6]
Theatrical release[edit]
The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.[8][9] Focus Features released it in theaters in the United States and Canada on March 15, 2024.[5] It was released alongside Arthur the King and the wide expansion of Love Lies Bleeding, and was projected to gross around $3 million from 1,146 theaters in its opening weekend.[10] It made $520,000 on its first day and went on to debut to $1.3 million, finishing ninth at the box office.[11] The demographic breakdown of the opening-weekend audience was 50% male, 75% aged 25 years and older, and 52% African American, 31% Caucasian, 10% Hispanic, and 4% Asian.[12] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film a 70% overall positive score, with 51% saying they would definitely recommend it.[11] By the end of its US theatrical run, it grossed $2.5 million.[2]
Universal Pictures will release the film in theaters in other territories, starting with the United Kingdom on April 26, 2024.[1]
Critical reception[edit]
Film review website Metacritic surveyed 22 critics and assessed 15 reviews as mixed, 5 as positive, and 2 as negative. It gave an aggregate score of 50 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[3] Website Rotten Tomatoes, which categorizes reviews as positive or negative, surveyed 71 critics and assessed 52 reviews as negative and 19 as positive, for a 27% approval rating. The average rating calculated was 4.8 out of 10. It summarized the critical consensus: "[It] has a promising premise, but is too timid to fully engage with its most provocative ideas."[4]
The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan critiqued the film as a satire with a novel concept that ultimately fell short, turning a potentially sharp commentary on racial tropes into a mix of superhero and romantic comedy elements that lacked depth and failed to challenge audiences. He said that despite its creative premise, its execution was overly cautious and pandering, and that it missed the opportunity to make a more impactful statement on race and representation in cinema.[13]
Entertainment Weekly's Devan Coggan expressed disappointment with the film, noting that while it introduced a compelling concept that challenged a long-standing cinematic stereotype, it ultimately struggled to maintain momentum, getting lost in a conventional romantic comedy subplot that diluted its satirical potential. She felt that by failing to deeply explore its own themes, or to fully develop its magical society's world, it neither satisfied as a critique of racial representation nor as a romantic comedy, leaving much of its promise unfulfilled.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "The American Society Of Magical Negroes (12A)". BBFC. February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c "The American Society of Magical Negroes — Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "The American Society of Magical Negroes Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ a b "The American Society of Magical Negroes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Grobar, Matt (November 15, 2023). "Focus Features Dates Kobi Libii Satire 'The American Society Of Magical Negroes' For Spring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Macaulay, Scott (March 10, 2021). "SFFILM Announces Recipients of 2021 Dolby Institute Fellowships". Filmmaker. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ "Exclusive: Take A Look at The New Trailer For 'The American Society of Magical Negroes,' Director Kobi Libii Talks His Debut Film". BET. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Bergeson, Samantha (December 15, 2023). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes' Trailer: Justice Smith Belongs to a Club That Makes White People's Lives Easier". Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "The American Society of Magical Negroes". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 14, 2024). "Box Office: 'Kung Fu Panda 4' Poised to Rule Again as Mark Wahlberg's 'Arthur the King' Targets $10 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 17, 2024). "'Kung Fu Panda 4' Second Weekend At $31M+ Expected To Karate Chop Sandworm — Saturday AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (March 17, 2024). "'Love Lies Bleeding' Expands Into Top Ten With 'One Life', 'The American Society Of Magical Negroes' – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (March 15, 2024). "'The American Society of Magical Negroes': A bloodless satire that's too eager to please". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Cuggan, Devan (January 20, 2024). "The American Society of Magical Negroes doesn't live up to its magical premise". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
